The test will assess the performance of the plants in field conditions over a ten year period.

ERMA’s approval is subject to a number of conditions, including containing the plants within cages, introducing fly pupae into the cages to carry out pollination, killing all the flies before opening the cages and composting all GM material no longer required.

Researchers will also have to check the pollination cages daily for damage which could allow insects to escape carrying pollen, and monitoring the site for two years after the field trial ends to ensure that no volunteer plants from the trial grow.

Conventional onions are a slow growing crop and poor at fighting off weeds. Farmers use up to 15 different herbicides, many of which are more toxic and longer lasting than glyphosate, to control the weeds.

For more details on the approval and conditions see EPA’s website at: www.epa.govt.nz